Dermocybe

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Dermocybe
Dermocybe semisanguinea
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Fungi Division: Basidiomycota Class: Agaricomycetes Order: Agaricales Family: Cortinariaceae Genus: Dermocybe

The fungi of the Dermocybe group, commonly known as Skin-heads, form a group within the huge genus Cortinarius. They are generally considered to be a subgenus though some authorities consider them to form a genus in their own right.

They can be distinguished from other Cortinarius species by:

1. their brilliant colours, especially of the gills,
2. their non-hygrophanous dry cap, and
3. their dry cylindrical (non-bulbous) stem.

An example with a vivid green colour is Dermocybe austroveneta. Another example is D. semisanguinea (pictured), which from above is an ordinary brown colour, but which shows a striking blood-red sheen when the underside of the cap is viewed.

The Austrian Professor Dr. Meinhard Moser (1924-2002), whose book is referenced, was one of the authorities who promote Dermocybe to the status of a genus.

[edit] References

• Meinhard Moser: Basidiomycetes II: Röhrlinge und Blätterpilze, Gustav Fischer Verlag Stuttgart (1978). English edition: translated by Simon Plant: Keys to Agarics and Boleti (Roger Phillips 1983) ISBN 0-9508486-0-3